Aquila Legis

The Aquila Legis (ΑLF) is a Filipino fraternity exclusively based in the Ateneo de Manila School of Law. Founded by Joaquin Lorenzo E. Misa, the first bossman or "Honorable Praeses" in 1949, it is the first fraternity founded by students, and the first fraternity in the Philippines using Latin nomenclature, preceding a number of Philippine law-based fraternities with names derived from Latin. (Aquila Legis in English means "eagle of the law," but can also be translated as "legal eagle.")

Over the past six decades, the fraternity has inducted over 1,500 members, many of whom eventually rose to public prominence as cabinet secretaries, legislators, justices, ambassadors, business tycoons, and top executives in the business and financial sector.

History
Aquila Legis Fraternity was founded as Fraternitas Aquilae Legis in 1949 by 21 second- and third-year students of the Ateneo Law School. As expressed by Aquila Legis alumnus and former Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, the fraternity was created "to promote camaraderie" and to "nurture Catholic lawyers and to produce leaders in every field of human endeavor", in line with the aims of the Jesuit-run Ateneo Law School.

Among the early members were Gabriel Singson who later became the first Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or BSP, Teofisto Guingona, Jr. of the second batch in 1950 (later Vice President of the Philippines), and Raul Boncan (later a member of the BSP's Monetary Board).

Over the years, the fraternity has earned a reputation for helping members pass the bar examinations, often with flying colors. Throughout Aquila Legis' history, over 40 fraternity alumni have reached the Top Ten of the Bar Examinations, five of whom earned first place. While one member obtained an "Excellent" mark in the 2020/2021 Bar Examinations.

The Aquila Legis is regarded as having pioneered the very first Bar Operations in the history of the Philippine Bar Exams and is considered to have the most elaborate and highly financed Bar Operations in the Country.

For a list of the fraternity's bar topnotchers, see: Bar Topnotchers and Placers from Aquila Legis.

Controversies
On February 8, 9 and 10, 1991, Aquila Legis senior members conducted initiation rites for neophytes interested in joining the fraternity's ranks. As a result of the traditional hazing ritual, one of the neophytes, Leonardo "Lenny" Villa, died from serious physical injuries at the Chinese General Hospital on February 10, 1991.
 * Hazing Death

In the wake of Villa's death, charges were filed against 26 members of the fraternity. The Regional Trial Court of Caloocan found the defendants guilty of the crime charged. The Court of Appeals however, overturned the findings of the trial court and acquitted 19 of the 26 defendants. The conviction of two Aquila Legis fraternity members, Fidelito Dizon and Artemio Villareal, was upheld, while the sentences for four other fraternity members were "downgraded from homicide to slight physical injuries". The Supreme Court later elevated the charges for the four to reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, downgrading Dizon's charges to the same. Villareal died in 2011 while awaiting appeal.

As a result of the controversy surrounding the death of Lenny Villa, Republic Act No. 8049 (more popularly known as the "Anti-Hazing Law") was passed into law in 1995. Up to today, the Lenny Villa case is considered as the first case that depicted the fraternity violence that occurs during initiation rites.

The controversy in the Villa Hazing continued years after, when it was reported that the cases against those charged for Villa's death were intentionally delayed through the interference and influence of several high-ranking Aquila Legis members such as former Solicitor General Raul Goco and former Court of Appeals Justice Jose Sabio.

During the impeachment of Renato Corona, former Supreme Court Chief Justice, Aquila Legis members holding key positions in the House of Representatives were said to be behind the fast-tracking of the hearing of the impeachment complaint against the former Chief Justice, in order to shelve the impeachment complaint which was likewise concurrently pending against then Supreme Court Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo who is an Aquilan himself, all in order to protect their fellow Aquilan.
 * The Impeachment of Renato Corona

Notable Members
* JUDICIARY


 * Ricardo Rosario, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
 * Mariano del Castillo, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
 * Michael Frederick Musngi, Justice, Sandiganbayan

* EXECUTIVE
 * Teofisto Guingona, Jr., Vice President of the Philippines under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Former Secretary of Justice (Philippines) and Ambassador to China
 * Bienvenido Laguesma, Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment
 * Silvestre Bello III, Secretary of Labor and Employment and former Solicitor General
 * Jose Calida, Solicitor General under President Rodrigo Duterte
 * Raul Goco, Former Solicitor General and Philippine Ambassador to Canada
 * Jun Abaya, Former Secretary, formerly Department of Transportation and Communication
 * Manuel "Lolong" Lazaro, Former Presidential Legal Counsel of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., Former Chairman of Okada Leisure and Entertainment Inc., Former Government Corporate Counsel
 * Victor G. Garcia III, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Russian Federation
 * Raul Rabe, Philippine Ambassador to the United States
 * Jose Brillantes, Former Secretary, Department of Labor and Employment, Former Philippine Ambassador to Canada
 * Ignacio Bunye, Presidential Spokesman under President Arroyo
 * Sergio Apostol, former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel
 * Ricardo Puno Jr., Press Secretary under President Joseph Estrada
 * Rolando Andaya, Former Secretary, Department of Budget and Management
 * Juan Miguel T. Cuna, Undersecretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources
 * Romeo Lumagui Jr, Commissioner, Bureau of Internal Revenue
 * Caesar R. Dulay, Former Commissioner, Bureau of Internal Revenue

* LEGISLATIVE
 * Ernesto Maceda, Jr., former Senator and President of the Senate of the Philippines
 * Francis Tolentino, Senator
 * Prospero Nograles, former House Speaker
 * Neptali M. Gonzales, Jr., Former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives
 * Isacio A. Pelaez The first Congressman of Misamis Oriental's 1st congressional district

* INDEPENDENT BODIES and CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSIONS
 * Gabriel Singson, Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
 * Karlo Nograles, Chairman, Civil Service Commission, Former Cabinet Secretary
 * Teofisto Guingona, Jr., Chairman, Commission on Audit

* LOCAL GOVERNMENT
 * Felixberto Urbiztondo, Mayor of Barobo Surigao del Sur
 * Meynardo A. Sabili, Mayor of Lipa City
 * Neptali M. Gonzales, Jr., Former Mayor of Mandaluyong
 * Arleigh Jay C. Sitoy, former Mayor of Cordova, Cebu